Alabama

Navy to hold public meeting Thursday in Baldwin

The U.S. Navy will hold a public meeting Thursday in Summerdale to discuss the potential expansions of four landing fields in Baldwin County to accommodate a new, more-powerful training airplane.

The meeting will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Summerdale Community Center, 300 W. Jackson St., said Lori Aprilliano, public affairs officer for Naval Air Station Whiting Field, based in Milton, Fla.

Whiting operates 13 Outlying Landing Fields in the region for pilot trainees to do touch-and-go landings, aerial maneuvers and exercises. That includes Barin Field and Wolf Field near Foley, and facilities near Summerdale and Silverhill.

Starting this year, Whiting will begin switching from the T-34C to the T-6B "Texan II," which will require longer runways for landings, Navy officials said.

"T-6B propellers cannot be reversed to slow the aircraft after landing," a Navy report states. "The T-34C only requires a 3,000-foot runway for operations. T-6B requires a minimum safe runway length of 4,000 feet and 'dual' operations, and 5,000 feet for 'solo' operations."